Page 78 of Born Daddy

Chapter Twenty-One

More than a week had passed since Tate moved in with him, and Rogan had never felt so carefree and good. He sat on their shared bed and laced up his gym shoes while Tate finished his coffee in the kitchen. They’d do a full breakfast once they got back from working out, although Rogan had already decided to treat Tate and take him to a restaurant instead. They’d be heading over to his folks later for a barbecue, and while there’d be plenty to eat there, his dad probably wouldn’t get the burgers on the grill until late afternoon.

He couldn’t have his boy hungry until then.

Rogan’s chest swelled and he could only imagine the giddy smile on his face. Man, facing his family without coming off like a lovestruck teenager was going to be interesting. But the joy and satisfaction of owning up to and embracing this amazing new lifestyle, and sharing it with someone as special as Tate, had rocked his world in the best way possible.

He rose from the bed and made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth and rinse out his mouth so they could get moving. Every day he woke up with a new purpose, his previous day to day existence swept away by how wonderful sharing his life with someone was. Going to the beach, the game, the gym—all these activities had a shine to them he’d never known of.

Rogan glanced up at the mirror, dragging a quick comb through his hair.

That’s because I’ve never been in love before.

He couldn’t breathe a word of those feelings to Tate. Not yet. Transparency aside, as Tate’s Daddy, it was his job to make sure everything he did was in Tate’s best interest. That thought had become a mantra to him. Master Zane never failed to remind him of that responsibility in some form another whenever they spoke or met. He’d only visited the Master in his home one other time since the first, but they’d spoken several times on the phone.

He needed to send the guy some flowers or something. Rogan snorted to himself. What the hell was the protocol in a situation like this? Master Zane had mentioned in passing at one point that he counseled newbies in the lifestyle because it was important to him it was done right, that misconceptions and bad behavior ruined it for those who were sincere and responsible kinksters.

Still, Rogan appreciated how the Master’s time was being taken up when he had not only a club to run, but two feisty boys. Observing Master Zane interact with the two distinctly different men had been fascinating. While he couldn’t picture himself ever wanting to be Daddy to a little, watching the role play had been interesting. Not that it mattered, since Tate wasn’t into that aspect of being a boy and it was all about Tate.

He grinned. Everything was all about Tate.

“You lucky son of a bitch,” he whispered to his reflection.

“Daddy?” Tate called from the bedroom. “I’m ready when you are.”

Rogan peered over his shoulder. “I’ll be done in a sec.”

He finished, grateful he hadn’t been talking too loudly. It probably wouldn’t have been that big a deal if Tate had heard him talking to himself, but still.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Rogan pulled Tate close with an arm around his waist so he could give him a quick, but thorough, kiss. “Mmm. Minty coffee. Go brush your teeth, then we can go.”

Tate beamed up at him. “Yes, Daddy.”

Rogan sometimes wondered if Tate purposely left out minor acts that Rogan didn’t need to remind him of constantly so he could get Rogan’s instructions. As if he needed some sort of evidence that Rogan truly was his Daddy after all. When he became more attuned to Tate’s needs and fears, he imagined it would become clearer.

He smiled to himself as he acknowledged how excited their journey together was. But his happiness rapidly changed to concern as Tate exited the bathroom.

“What is it, sweetheart?”

Tate’s eyes widened almost imperceptibly, as if he’d been caught doing something bad. “Oh, nothing that important. I know you want to get a good workout in, since we’ve been so busy with other stuff this past week. You especially, with work, Master Zane and helping me get out of that apartment for good.” He twisted his hands. “I don’t want to become more trouble than I’m worth.”

Rogan sucked in a sharp breath, Tate’s words a true gut punch. If that was his sole reason for being a non-bratty boy, they had to have a talk. To Rogan, Tate could be any type of boy, that part didn’t matter. Having Tate in his life was worth every moment.

Rogan let his hand fall and gathered up Tate’s so he could lead him to the bed. When he sat down, he tugged Tate onto his lap, wrapping him in his arms and marveling at how Tate instinctively draped his own arms around Rogan’s neck.

So far, lap-time was his favorite. He’d never done that with a lover before and was shocked to discover how much he enjoyed it. After his initial elation, he’d bemoaned all the years he’d never had someone in his life he’d felt comfortable enough to share that experience with. However, now he had Tate. The past wasn’t important.

“Listen to me carefully, sweetheart. You’re worth every minute of every day to me. I’ve never been so thrilled to have someone in my life the way I am with you.”

Rogan noted how stunned Tate appeared at that announcement, and while he hated to drag Cam into the moment, Rogan desperately wanted to understand all he could about the demons still lurking in Tate’s psyche.

“Can you give me an idea of how your self-worth either improved or deteriorated once you became Cam’s boy? If you need a chance to mull it over, we can discuss it later if you’d like.”

Rogan ran his hands up and down Tate’s back, hoping to reassure his boy. After Tate lowered his eyes for a moment, his fingers twisting and untwisting against Rogan’s nape, he lifted his gaze. Rogan didn’t care for the melancholy in Tate’s expression. Hadn’t Tate dedicated three years of his life to being Cam’s boy, had planned on staying with him forever? What was Rogan missing in this equation that was his responsibility as a Daddy to detect?

“I don’t need to mull it over.” He gave a disheartened shrug. “It’s funny, I wasn’t aware of it at the time.” He scrunched up his nose. “That’s not entirely true. I think I was always cognizant that Cam didn’t really love me. To him, I was as important as any of the fixtures in his house—needed—but could always be replaced. I didn’t begin to understand that until I met you.”

Rogan blinked several times, wondering what Tate could possibly mean. He’d barely been Tate’s Daddy for a week, any earlier Daddy-like behavior aside. He hoped like hell he hadn’t been the source of Tate’s self-doubt.

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